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Stephen Decater

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Bio

Stephen and Gloria Decater are the founders and operators of Live Power Community Farm, a 40-acre diversified biodynamic, 100% community-based farm in Mendocino County, California. The farm is now in its 24th season providing food for 200 member households in Mendocino County and the San Francisco Bay area. Steve and Gloria host on-farm school class visits and maintain an apprentice program for 5 to 7 apprentices each season. Since 1980 they have been using draft horses for soil tillage, garden cultivation, and general field work. Water pumping and other electrical power needs are supplied by an 18kw photovoltaic system. They came to the land originally as caretakers and in 1995, with the help of their member community, they created and placed a specialized shared equity agricultural easement on their farm, which dedicates the land permanently to active biological farming use and ties its resale value to farming income level, keeping it affordable to future generations of farmers.